Latch.



WILLIAM ROWLEY BRENNAN,

0F HAWTHORN, NEAR MELBOURNE, VICTORIA,

AUSTRALIA.

LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed January 3, 1916. Serial No. 69,859.

Toall whom 'it may concern n Be it known that I, WILLIAM RowLnY BRENNAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Hawthorn, near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, have Ainvented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches; andI do herebyjdeclare the fol-` lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or igures of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

My invention relates to latches for theV doors of motor vehicles, carriages and the like, and has for its object to provide a simple, durable and readily assembled latch, that may be sold at a cost of a few cents. To this end it is necessary that all of the parts be assembled with as few rivets or screws as possible, in order to decrease the assembling costs. With this end in view I have designed such a latch, which can be assembled by providing a single yrivet in the latch itself, and a single rivetin the strike plate, and which will fulfil all the requirements of an antirattling automobile latch.

In order that my invention may bere-adily understood, I will refer to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a practicable embodiment of the invention, and in which like parts are similarly designated.

Figure 1 is a 4side elevation of the latch; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the strike-platey in operative relation to the latch; Fig. 3 is a section yon the line 3-3 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4L is a plan view of the latch and strike plate corresponding to the positions shown in Fig. 2; Fig. is

a perspective view of a spring-urged pawl or lever for holding the bolt.

The frameplateis made from a single piece of sheet fmetal, die-formed and punched to comprise aside wall 1, a top member 2, a front member 3, and a bottom member or lug 4. VThe top is providedwith a slot 5 extending fromy its rear edge arranged for the reception of the operating rod 6, which is preferably made from polygonal stock, preferably rectangular' in section, as shown. The lower end of the actuating rod passes through the lug 4.-, which is provided with a perforation corresponding in shape to the cross-section ofthe rod, and

at a slight distance from the wall 1, as will be hereinafter explained. They rod 6 is squeezed, preferably in a cold state, to form a' recess or transverse slot at 7, for the latch tail 9, and in so doing the metal is displaced laterally. A spring 8 is placed on the rod 6 between the lug 4l and the displaced metal at 7. The rod 6 actuates the latch member. The tail 9 of the latch member 10 enters the transverse recess or slot in the rod 6 at 7. The latch, which is also die-formed of sheet metal, has a perforation 11 near the tail 9 which takes over a boss 12 formed by perforating or Vpunching up the side wall 1. The head 13 of the latch is made heavier and V-shaped in section by doubling the metal from which the latch head isV made upon itself, as more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

rIhe head of the latch moves through a rectangular or oblong slot 14: in the front plate 3. The tail 9 of the latch, in order to be securely seated in the squeezed transverse recess 7 in the rod 6, is bent slightly toward said rod, as indicated at 9a. This also enables the'rod 6 to be locatedV a suiiicient distance from the plate 1 to enable a coil spring to be placed on rod 6, as shown.

Vhen the rod 6 is depressed, against the action of the spring 8 the latch 13 is raised to the Vdotted line position shown in Fig. 1, in which position it is held by a pawl 15, also formed of a single piece of sheet metal. The nose of thispawl is formed at 16 so as to lie flat against the plate 1, and is beveled at 17 on its end, Fig. 1, to lie parallel with the underface of the latch head 13, when in raised position, although, if desired, this bevel may be omitted andthe parts allowed to wear into this shape.

The pawl 15 is pivoted at 18 on a rivet or the like, which passes through the front plate 3, and is the only rivet in the latch proper. yThe tail of the `pawl 15 is 'broadcnedy at 19 to act as an kabutment or striking surface, and this4 faceis extended at right angles thereto into a lug 20 on which is placed 'a coily spring 2.1, the under edge of the" surface 19 forming an abutment for one endfof the spring 21 and the plate 1 forming an abutment for the other end of said spring. The lug 20 acts as a retainer for spring` 21, andis sutiiciently long to prevent the nose of 23a is substantially vertical, or paralleljtoY the edge of tlierplate. This plate has a portion 24'at right angles, bent over o n itself so as to form a yoke or pocket 25 for the reception of the rubber buffer 26 heldin place by a rivet, screw, orthe like, 27 L In assembling the latch the spring 21Y is *placed on the pawl lug 2O and the rivet 18 is inserted and riveted in place. The latch l0- is tlienflaid on the boss-12. .The spring 8 is now placed over the lower end of rod 6, and

' the lower end of this rod is passed through the perforation inthe lug 4 atan incline, as indicated by the line A, and Vis then rocked intoY the slot 5, while the transverse slot at 7 takes over the latch tail 9. The metal on the outer edge of the slotv 5 is then tappedl with a hammer and slightly deformed or bent inward,v as shown at B, Fig. 4. This completes the assembling of the'latch by means of a single rivet, screw or the like, 1S. The rubber buffer 26 is now slipped over into the yoke or pocket 25, and the rivet, screw, or the like 27,v isinserted. The parts in plan view then assume the position shown in Fig. 4 when placed on an automobile door or the Y like. 1

x When the door to which the latch is secured is slammed shut, it moves in the direction of the arrow Fig. 4 kagainst the rubber VYbuffer 26 in the strike-plate 22, thebroadcned tail 19iof pawl15 engages this buifer, and the tail of thepawl isrmoved toward the plate 1 until lug 20 strikes said plate 1, at

v about which time the nose of the pawl Vhas been withdrawn from under the latchhead e 13, whereupon spring 8 urges rod 6 and theI latch tail Y9 upward, causing the latch head 13 to move down in the rectangular slot, 14

- of the front plate 3 and inthe slot Y23 of the strike-plate. Inasmuch as at the moment the pawl releases the latchA head 13 by the slamming of the door, the bufferV 26 yields, and allows the door tomove into closing Vposition and slightly past it,a1fraction of an inch,` so that the hole 23 in the strike-plate- Vvmust'have an inclined edge 23". This inclined edgexis soY arranged and at such an incline, that shouldthe buffer 26 wear out or dropout from any Ycausefthe latch would Y still close. The buffer, however, exerts fa f pressure-againstthe pawl tail? 19, and urgesv Y Vthe straight side of the ybolt-head13 against the'vertical edge23a of the strike-plate slot, and-thusprevents the ,door from-rattling.

VvIn lieu `of the rubber buer I can use aY heavier spring 21 for the pawl.

, I-claim# n 1 Y 1. Inra latch, a pivoted latching member,

a spring-urged actuating rod, a. springurged pawl to hold said member in unlatch- Ying position and a strike-plate vhaving a Slot for said memberY and an abutment to strike the pawl and release said member.

2. In a. latch, a pivoted latchiiig member having -a 'V-shaped' head, a spring-urged` pawl to hold said member in unlatchmg position, a strike lplate having a buffer for engaging and releasing said pawl, and a V-Shaped slot having its inclined side adjacent said buffer. 'f

' 3. VIn aV latch, a spring-urged, pivoted',`

sheet-metal latching member having ahead in which the vmetal is bent over upon itself to substantially V-shape in section, apivoted, spring-urged pawl whosenose engages under said head, and a strike-plate having@ yielding buffer arranged to strike the tail v of said pawl to release said member, andaY V-shaped slot having one side vertical andy line with the latter slot for said rod, and a' VVboss` punched from the bodyV plate for a latch member. Y Y

Y r6. In a latch, a strike plate having a latchengaging slot and a buffer retaining member comprising a portion of said plateV at right Y angles thereto turned over to form a pocket. Y,

7. Ina latch, a Vframe plate, a springurged latching member, a spring-urged Vpawl havingy its nose provided with a straight edge to lie flat againstsaid plate when the end of said nose engages the lowerV edge of said member, the tail of said pawl having a spring-retaining lug. thereon of 'suflicient length to limit the movement of said pawl when striking said plate.-

8. In a latch, al sheet metal plate having a front member provided with a rectangular slot, a pivot boss punchedY from Ytlielbody of said plate, atop member having-.a'slotj Y punched Yfrom its-rear edge andY a bottom perforated memberline with said latter slot, an Vactuating rod having va swaged re.-

cess therein, 'a springen 'said rod between the displaced Vmetal at said recess and said Y.

bottom member', aperforated'latching member pivotedl on saidboss and having aftail nose engages under saidlatching member, a springretaining lug on theY tailrof said pawl arranged tostop'against saidY plate,

1725 engaging said recess,"agspring-urgedYpawly pivoted tov the vfront plate member whoseV Y Copies of this patentmay be obtained` for Y of the slot.

projecting edge of said buer, whereby, when the latch is slammed shut the upper wider end oi said slot will receive the latch irrespective of the degree of compression of said buffer, and the buffer upon expanding will hold the latch against said parallel side In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto. Y

WILLIAM ROl/VLEY BRENNAN. Y

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

vViashingtcm, D. C, 

